Unique Experiences in Brazil

Bailey Busslinger

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 - 10:00

Brazil is a country that has so much to offer its visitors. As a traveller in Brazil, you have the opportunity to have so many unique experiences! Experiences that are unlike anywhere else in the world. With its diverse landscapes, unique culture, and celebrations with millions of people, any traveller in Brazil is bound to have a fantastic time.

I spent two months travelling in Brazil and it’s safe to say that I had a blast! While I did a ton of different things while I was there, it was the truly unique experiences that I remember now as the most special. I’m going to share some of these experiences with you in this blog!

Guide to Rio de Janeiro

Watch below as Tom, an entrant in Cover-More's Ultimate Traveller competition, shows what you can do in Rio in 24 hours!

Carnival

Naturally, Carnival is first on my list of unique experiences that you can only have in Brazil! While other countries in the world have their own versions of Carnival, nobody does it quite like (or as big) as Brazil! Carnival is a 10-day festival celebrating all things music and dancing, specifically Samba. In Brazil, Samba is just as important as major sporting events. Samba schools with thousands of dancers and musicians perform and compete for the title of the best Samba school in the country.

There is actually a stadium specifically for the samba competitions used annually in Rio during Carnival called the Sambadrome. It is a large stadium much like a football stadium except it is longer and narrower creating an area for the Samba schools to parade through. Until you’ve seen it with your own eyes you won’t be able to understand how huge this event is. Imagine floats as large as houses and thousands of dancers moving in sync wearing millions of dollars’ worth of costumes. It is unbelievable!

Samba competitions held a the Sambadrome.

But carnival is about more than just Samba, it is about community. Everyone in Brazil loves carnival. It is a time where work and school stops and everybody celebrates every day all day. Street parties take place all over every city from early in the morning to the late hours at night. I can tell you one thing for sure; Brazilians sure know how to party!

Party-goers living it up during Carnival in Brazil.

Copacabana Beach on New Year’s Eve

Copacabana Beach on New Year’s Eve is another celebration that, like Carnival, is just mind-blowing! More than two million people gather all on Copacabana Beach to watch a crazy firework display. This is said to be the world’s largest New Year’s Eve party where the largest number of people gather in one place.

The energy on the beach is electric! There are all kinds of people celebrating the New Year on Copacabana from young party goers to families and the elderly. But everyone has one thing in common, and that is that they are there for a good time! It is tradition to go into the ocean at midnight and jump 7 waves to welcome in the New Year. This is said to bring good luck for the year ahead!

Beautiful sunset overlooking Copacabana Beach.

Favela Tours

Favelas are essentially slums or poorer neighbourhoods that are heavily populated and don’t have the infrastructure that modern day neighbourhoods do. Old buildings sit very close to one another, garbage generally lines the streets, and oftentimes police have little control over these favelas.

Favela tours are quite popular among tourists visiting Brazil.

However, some Favelas in Rio de Janerio are actually safe to enter nowadays. Going on a guided tour with one the locals is perfectly safe. Not only will you get insight into how the poorer people of Brazil live but you will get to see some incredible graffiti, learn about history, and get incredible views of the city from up above on the Favela hillside.

Going on a Favela tour sounds like a strange thing to do but it is very memorable and most of the tours are fundraisers for schools or programs within the Favela.

Street art in Brazil. Or graffiti - You decide.

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls are nothing short of incredible. The waterfalls span over 2,700m with over 275 different induvial waterfalls. Iguazu Falls sits right on the border of Brazil and Argentina so it is actually possible to visit from the Argentina as well but the experiences are totally different. From Argentina you can get up close to the falls and go exploring around them through lots of different walking trails, but from the Brazilian side you get a panoramic view that is simply breathtaking and sure to be a sight you will never forget!

The incredible Iguazu Falls.

These are just a few of the experiences that are unique to Brazil, the truth is that there is actually so much to do and see! In Brazil you could visit the Amazon Jungle, go race a little buggy through sand dunes, swim with dolphins, see lots of wildlife - the list is literally endless! Capture these memories forever by checking out how to snap great photos on holidays. While I spent two months in Brazil and still feel like I barely saw even a fraction of the huge country. I loved it so much that I am actually in the process of planning my next trip there! I’m sure I’ll have even more unique Brazilian experiences this time around!

Bailey Busslinger loves the thrill of adventure travel and is always in search of her next big trip. Alongside her boyfriend Daniel, the two have been to more than 40 countries and no intention of stopping anytime soon. You can follow Bailey and Daniel on their travel blog, Destinationless Travel.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and are meant as travel inspiration only. They do not reflect the opinions of Cover-More Insurance. You should always read the PDS available from your travel insurance provider to understand the limits, exclusions and conditions of your policy and to ensure any activities you undertake are covered by your policy.